Mountain Biking - which Specialized disc brake is the best bang for the buck

Hey guys, looking to upgrade bikes soon. I believe I'm going to stay with the Specialized line, probably either the Rockhopper disc, Stumpjumper disc, or the bottom one or two Enduros. The problem is that the local bike shop doesn't have all these bikes in. My biggest hangup is which disc brake to get. My only requirements for a bike is that it be somewhat light but not to the extreme, that it have plenty of full suspension travel, and that it has powerful disc brakes, at least more powerful than my current V-brakes. I don't know the difference between the 525 and 555 brakes, and don't know if it's worth the extra cash. Any advice?

Psssssst!



Get some Avids. You may thank me later.


:p

aren't those things like major heavy?

As discs go, I don't think they're that heavy?

That's cool, I guess I'd have to go with a frame from another brand though, otherwise I don't see how it would be cost effective. The only Specialized frames are more expensive, and don't have any components. Otherwise I'd have to buy a complete bike then throw away $200-$300 worth of stuff to get the Avids.

I would go with avids too...and no they aren't heavy any weight increase although minimal is worth it. :)

Well if you follow my lead (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18024) you'll have a bike matching those qualifications for about $1200

aww, your just showing off...

Originally posted by Phatman
aww, your just showing off... So?:D

My vote is for the Avids also. :)
I have them and they've worked flawlessly for two years now. Except for replacing the pads once.

Ditto,

Price Point has them on sale for like $79 or $89 ea.

www.pricepoint.com I'm sure you'll find similar deals elsewhere!

L8R

Is there not any disc brakes at all that come on a decent Specialized bike that are any good? I'd rather not have to swap out a bunch of stuff on a brand new bike that I just paid a bunch of money for. Would I even be able to sell the new old stuff? Yeah the avids are like $80 or $90, but that's only one end, and that doesn't include the cable and stuff. I think I'll just get a bike and keep the brakes that are on there, and if I have any major complaints after I've rode it for a long time, I'll consider switching. I'd rather just buy a bike and be done with it and be able to ride it right then to tell the truth.


Thanks,
Cory

the deore hydros are pretty good. I believe they're labled as 555's so if they have those you're good to go

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
Ditto,

Price Point has them on sale for like $79 or $89 ea.

www.pricepoint.com I'm sure you'll find similar deals elsewhere!

L8R That's where I got mine!

Originally posted by corndogggy
Is there not any disc brakes at all that come on a decent Specialized bike that are any good? I'd rather not have to swap out a bunch of stuff on a brand new bike that I just paid a bunch of money for. Would I even be able to sell the new old stuff? Yeah the avids are like $80 or $90, but that's only one end, and that doesn't include the cable and stuff. I think I'll just get a bike and keep the brakes that are on there, and if I have any major complaints after I've rode it for a long time, I'll consider switching. I'd rather just buy a bike and be done with it and be able to ride it right then to tell the truth.


Thanks,
Cory Corny The Rockhopper comp IS disc compatible it COMES with disc rims I changed mine purely on preference (and my f@t @$$) Get it with Avids and it'll rock

Ok, just last night I found the bike I want.

http://www.harobikes.com/2003/ex3.html

It has Shimano m525 brakes. I personally liked them. I also test drove several Klein, Gary Fisher, and Trek bikes since they were on a demo tour. I didn't think that the $4,300 Trek bike stopped any better than this. Plus, if you go to the next step down with cheaper components on the Haro, you get Avid mechanical disk brakes. If they're so much better, why did Haro do this?

http://www.harobikes.com/2003/ex2.html

Originally posted by corndogggy
Ok, just last night I found the bike I want.

If they're so much better, why did Haro do this?


Because the M-525's are hydraulic and the Avids are mechanical.

The best hydros are made by Hayes. The rest are just pretenders to the crown, but people see hydraulic discs and think that they're all the same. That's why. Personally I like the the Avids and would suggest them over most of the $4!tmaNO discs. I AM, intrigued by the new XTR disc / hub setup (splined no bolts)

FWIW Corny the Haro's are good bikes I was looking at them myself before I picked my new one.

Yeah it seemed pretty nice. It also seemed pretty frickin heavy. The suspension is awesome, but the frame seems like it's almost overkill unless you're flying off cliffs. I was basically looking for something exactly like that except made by Specialized and lighter, which is pretty much what the Enduro Pro is, but I don't have $3K to drop on a bike.

The Haro Extreme's are nice bikes. One of the mags did a review on the X3 and stated you get a great bike at a great price. They also said that it steered slowly, so if you find yourself in super technical terrain, the bike may feel sluggish. Who knows!

I don't think you ought to be too concerned with what set-up to go with. IMO, Avid's are the best mechanical brake, the Hayes are o.k., and the Shimano's are on par with the Hayes. With mechanicals, you don't have to swap out the lever and cable, so you're not spending more money on those items. Of the 3, the Avid's are the easiest to set-up and seemed to have the best "feel", but all did a good job of stopping you.

I also believe that Hayes are the best hydraulics on the market. But that's not to say the others are all crap. Opinions are like a-holes, everyone has one. I know people who swear by their XT's or Hope's or ....etc.

I test rode a bike with the Deore hydros and they stopped very well. I don't think they'd handle some serious downhill runs that the pro's ride, but I think they'd be fine for 95% of the riding I do.

What I'm trying to suggest, is to not make your bike buying decision on the components of the bike. Get the one you like the ride quality best on. You can always swap out components to suit your needs and likes. If you know exactly what brakes you want, ask the shop to swap them for you at time of purchase. Most shops will do this and only charge you the difference in price, if any. If they don't want to swap out the parts, ask if they'll install the new ones for you if you buy the new brakes. Then sell the old ones on eBay!

L8R